Privacy Policy

1. Who We Are & Governing Privacy Law

Lily Kaufmann Counselling ("we", "us", or "our") operates a private coaching, mental skills, and support practice based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. We are committed to safeguarding the personal information of our website visitors and clients in full compliance with British Columbia's Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA) and applicable professional ethical codes.

2. Personal Information We Collect

Depending on your interaction with our website and services, we may collect the following categories of personal information:

• Contact & Booking Information: Your name, email address, preferred session length, requested dates or times, and any voluntary context you provide when submitting a contact or consultation form.
• Client & Session Records: If you engage in sessions, confidential notes, intake summaries, and administrative records are maintained strictly in accordance with BC PIPA and professional standards.
• Technical & Log Data: Like most websites, our hosting servers automatically record basic technical data (such as IP addresses, browser types, device information, and page request timestamps) for system security, performance, and operational integrity. We do not use third-party behavioral advertising or tracking cookies.

3. How We Use Your Information

We collect and use your personal information solely for legitimate, transparent purposes, including:

• Responding to your inquiries and scheduling introduction calls or sessions.
• Delivering personalized coaching, mental skills, and support services.
• Processing payments, managing invoicing, and maintaining accurate administrative records.
• Complying with statutory, regulatory, and legal obligations in British Columbia.

We do not sell, rent, lease, or disclose your personal information to third parties for marketing or commercial advertising purposes under any circumstances.

4. Confidentiality & Statutory Limits in British Columbia

All information shared within 1-on-1 sessions, consultations, and written communications is held in strict professional confidence. In accordance with British Columbia law and the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors (BCACC) ethical guidelines, information will only be disclosed without your consent under the following specific, legally mandated exceptions:

• Imminent Risk of Harm: If there is a clear, serious, and imminent risk of physical injury, death, or suicide to yourself or someone else.
• Child Protection: If there is reason to believe that a child or youth under the age of 19 is experiencing, or is at risk of, physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional harm, or neglect, as mandated under the BC Child, Family and Community Service Act (CFCSA).
• Vulnerable Adults: If there is reason to believe that a vulnerable adult who cannot seek help independently is experiencing abuse or severe neglect.
• Court Order or Legal Subpoena: If records or testimony are formally subpoenaed or ordered by a court of law with competent jurisdiction.
• Professional Misconduct: When required by law to report sexual or severe ethical misconduct by another regulated healthcare practitioner.

5. Third-Party Processors & Cross-Border Data Storage

To operate our website and practice efficiently, we partner with reputable third-party service providers. In compliance with BC PIPA, please note the following:

• Form Processing (Formspree): Inquiries and booking requests submitted via our website form are transmitted through Formspree, Inc. Formspree encrypts form submissions in transit and temporarily stores data on cloud servers that may be located in the United States.
• Email & Communication Providers: Electronic correspondence is transmitted through secure cloud email providers (e.g., Google Workspace).
• Cross-Border Notice: When personal information is stored or processed on servers outside of Canada, it may be subject to the laws of that foreign jurisdiction (including lawful access by foreign law enforcement or regulatory bodies under statutes such as the US CLOUD Act).

6. Electronic Communications & Web Form Security

While our website uses Transport Layer Security (TLS/HTTPS) to encrypt data in transit, standard internet transmission and unencrypted email are never 100% secure. For your own privacy:

• We encourage you to use the website contact form for general inquiries, scheduling questions, and brief overviews rather than sharing sensitive clinical, psychiatric, or trauma details.
• Detailed personal and clinical histories are best discussed directly in confidential 1-on-1 sessions.

7. Data Retention & Secure Destruction

We retain personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected or to satisfy statutory legal, accounting, and professional record-keeping requirements in British Columbia. Once information is no longer required, it is securely deleted or shredded in accordance with BC PIPA standards.

8. Your Rights Under BC PIPA

Under British Columbia's Personal Information Protection Act, you have the right to:

• Request access to the personal information we hold about you.
• Request corrections to any inaccurate, outdated, or incomplete information.
• Withdraw your consent to the collection, use, or disclosure of your personal information (subject to legal or contractual obligations).

To exercise any of these rights, please contact our designated Privacy Officer using the details below.

9. Designated Privacy Officer & Contact Information

In accordance with Section 4(3) of BC PIPA, Lily Kaufmann serves as the designated Privacy Officer for Lily Kaufmann Counselling. If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or the management of your personal information, please contact:

If your inquiry or complaint is not resolved to your satisfaction, you have the right to contact the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for British Columbia (OIPC) at www.oipc.bc.ca.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in our practices, technology, or legal requirements in British Columbia. The revised date at the top of this page indicates the date of the most recent revision. Continued use of our website or services constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.